Geodiversity became the Sign of the Year 2025
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Geodiversity, the Sign of the Year 2025, which was created on the initiative of the Slovenian Geological Society and the Department of Geology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering of the University of Ljubljana (UL NTF), is not merely a technical term. It is the story of Earth, which, through rock records, landform shapes, the abundance of water and the fertility of the soil, bears witness to the unimaginably long development of the planet, the foundation of our civilisation and evolution.
At the initiative of the Slovenian Geological Society and the Department of Geology at UL NTF, geologists and representatives of the group for the development of Slovenian sign language, operating within the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Clubs Association of Slovenia and the Institute for Slovenian Sign Language, created 75 new geological signs in 2025. With this contribution, we significantly expanded the professional vocabulary of the Dictionary of Slovenian Sign Language.
Among all the new geological terms, the sign for the word geodiversity was proposed and created first. More than this, it is the first sign for the word geodiversity in sign language worldwide, and as such it represents the basis for the creation of signs in other sign languages. The sign consists of two parts or signs: planet Earth (geo-) and diversity.
Geodiversity is the diversity of non-living (abiotic) nature and is the foundation of biological diversity (biodiversity). It is the basis of every ecosystem, as it brings together various natural phenomena and environments shaped by geological, geomorphological, hydrological and pedological processes. It is also the foundation for understanding Earth’s history and the evolution of life on our planet.
Dictionary of Slovenian Sign Language, 2025
The sign for the word geodiversity was first presented to the general public on the International Geodiversity Day, which was marked on 6 October 2025. Due to the positive response, this sign was proposed at the end of the year as a candidate for the Sign of the Year. Among fifteen proposals, it was shortlisted and put to a vote. At the announcement of the Word and Sign of the Year 2025, held on 7 January 2026 in the atrium of ZRC SAZU, geodiversity was selected as the Sign of the Year.
The selection of the word geodiversity as the Sign of the Year carries an important message about awareness of the significance of natural heritage, landscape diversity and the power of nature on our planet. It invites us to respect, understand and care for the planet, which is far older than humanity and has been entrusted to us only for temporary stewardship, not permanent ownership.
A video of the sign for geodiversity can be viewed on the website of the Dictionary of Slovenian Sign Language.